pickSummer 1985, & two young mountaineers, Joe & Simon, set off from camp to climb a route no-one had conquered before. After several days they reached the summit with a few minor issues, but when setting off back down Joe has a catastrophic accident resulting in him breaking his leg. Disaster! Although Simon initially tries to belay Joe down the mountain, a snow storm develops which results in him having to leave Joe for dead.
pickMario Vargas Llosa is an excellent author. The fact that it took 3 months for me to finish it should have no bearing on what a well-written book it is. The issue is with the lengthy paragraphs in extremely long chapters. It‘s not the type of book to sneak in a few pages when you can. You actually have to devote time to it. Peruvian Ricardo believes true peace will be his if he can just live his life in Paris. Spoiler: he does. As a child in ⬇️
pickWilder‘s works always seem quite melancholy. The characters are well drawn. Thoughtful and quiet. If I could have dinner with an author, this wouldn‘t be the one. He is quite grim.
It‘s another book coincidence #bookcoincidence! I read several books at a time. Tonight I started a chapter out of Mario Vargas Llosa‘s Bad Girl about a man named Arquímedes. Lo and behold, the next chapter I read in the tagged book was—surprise—about Arquímedes!
Perhaps that‘s a common name in South and Central America ? Even if so, to be the subject of both chapters I read tonight is bizarre. #foodandlit #Peru #Nicaragua
Adding some new countries to #ReadTheWorld2025 in July and August: #NewZealand, #Finland, #Peru, #Pakistan, #SriLanka, #Hungary and #Sweden.
I now have covered 26 countries!
August wrapped. Not the best books this month when Paddington is the only 5-star read!
August Books Wrapped:
I read 4 books for #Bolivia #foodandlit
1 book for #authoramonth
1 book for #campLitsy
1 book for #klbr
And 1 book for #serieslove
I‘m still reading a Llosa book, Bad Girl, that I started in July for #Peru #foodandlit and Dickens‘s Little Dorrit that I started in June for #whattheDickens
Eight books read in July while still making my way through chunksters Kristin Lavransdatter (#KLBR) and Little Dorrit (#whattheDickens). Stats:
1 book finished for last month‘s #foodandlit #Greenland
3 books for #foodandlit #Peru
1 book for #authoramonth (Virginia Wolff)
2 books for #campLitsy, including the tagged book, best book of the year so far
Plans for tonight #FoodAndLit #Peru
panI was hoping to like this more since it's a treasure hunting book but I found myself constantly getting lost with the storyline. So much was happening at once that I did not have enough time to process it. I found myself going back to relisten. I felt like the fast pace would work better as a movie.
2 ⭐️
Setting: Peru
#foodandlit2025 @Texreader @Catsandbooks
This is a, what seems at times, minute-by-minute recounting of Joe's experiences on this climb in 1985. It's very detailed & honest, but it's not a book to read if you have anxiety! At the point where Joe was still trying to reach the camp & the others were preparing to leave it, 3d
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2555377137
Read 18th-21st Sept 2025 3d
#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
3d